Suspected polio outbreak spreading among children in Syria

Friday

Oct 25, 2013 at 12:01 AMOct 25, 2013 at 10:47 AM

DEIR AL-ZOR, SYRIA - At least 22 people are suspected of having polio in Syria, where health officials are scrambling to respond to the first outbreak of the crippling viral disease in 14 years, the World Health Organization said yesterday.

DEIR AL-ZOR, SYRIA —At least 22 people are suspected of having polio in Syria, where health officials are scrambling to respond to the first outbreak of the crippling viral disease in 14 years, the World Health Organization said yesterday.

Most of those thought to be stricken are in the eastern province of Deir al-Zor and are children younger than 2 years old, WHO spokesman Oliver Rosenbauer said.

More than 100,000 children younger than 5 are deemed at risk of polio in the province, he said.